Kool-Aid was invented in Nebraska? Oh yeah, it was! Edwin Perkins came up with it in Hastings, but its Nebraska roots go even deeper than that. Nebraska Public Media producer Andy Hermann busts through walls to get the story. Guests, in order of appearance: Linda Buck, Site Manager, Museum of the High Plains; Ryan Cramer, Curator, Cambridge Museum; Teresa Kreutzer-Hodson, Director, Hastings Museum; Dick Shoemaker, nephew of Kitty & Edwin Perkins; Chuck Shoemaker, nephew of Kitty & Edwin Perkins. Additional audio: excerpt from Nebraska Nightly on NET Radio (May 21, 1998), anchored by Nancy Finken. Special thanks to Alexis Scargill, Media Archivist, Nebraska Public Media.

It's an undisputed fact that the Reuben sandwich was first put together in Nebraska. But what's the story? And who gets credit for its invention?? Nebraska Public Media producer Andy Hermann digs into the story. Guests, in order of appearance: Sarah Baker Hansen, food writer, Flatwater Free Press; Mary Bernstein, youngest daughter, Bernard Schimmel; Connie Shapiro, middle daughter Bernard Schimmel; Judy Weil, oldest daughter, Bernard Schimmel; Ed Kully, great-great nephew, Reuben Kulakofsky; Jay Kulakofsky, great-great-great nephew, Reuben Kulakofsky; Janie Kulakofsky, great-great niece-in-law, Reuben Kulakofsky. Music: "Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)" by The Hombres. Additional audio: "Quiz Show" (1994).

It should be pretty easy to pronounce Norfolk, Nebraska, right?? Nebraska Public Media producer Andy Hermann dives into why saying the town's name isn't as simple as it seems. Guests, in order of appearance: Jeffrey Steffen, general manager, WJAG radio; Sheryl Schmeckpeper, author, "Norfolk, Nebraska: The First 150 Years"; Libby McKay, executive director, Elkhorn Valley Museum. Music: "No Not Much" by The Smoke Ring. Additional audio: "Johnny Goes Home (1982)", NBC special.

Check your toolbox after this story to make sure you have the innovative hand tool that was invented in DeWitt a century ago. The VISE-GRIP, or locking plier calls Nebraska home. Nebraska Public Media producer Andy Hermann has the gripping story. Guests, in order of appearance: Kirby Taylor, Program Chair, Precision Machining and Automation Technology, Southeast Community College; Marcia Bergmeyer, granddaughter of William S. Petersen; Joyce Holtmeier, granddaughter of William S. Petersen; Larry Wattjes, former mechanical maintenance engineer, Petersen Manufacturing; Lois Wattjes, Vice President, DeWitt Historical Society.

Is the legend true? Is Kearney the Midway City... the exact center of the United States? Nebraska Public Media producer Andy Hermann looks into this claim that Kearney has held since the late-1880s. Guests, in order of appearance: David Bristow, editor, Nebraska History Magazine; John Arnold, travel counselor, Kearney Welcome Center; John Bauer, professor of geography, University of Nebraska at Kearney. Music: "Kearney City Anthem!" by The Guy Who Sings Songs About Cities & Towns. Additional audio: "President Clinton's Univ. of Nebraska Speech - A Foreign Policy for the Global Age (2000)", Courtesy; William J. Clinton Presidential Library,

Glur's Tavern is not only the oldest tavern in Nebraska, it's the oldest continuously operating tavern west of the Missouri River. It contains lots of history... history that connects from the Old West to the present day. Nebraska Public Media producer Andy Hermann has the story of the tavern with connections to the Old West. Guests, in order of appearance: Cathy Hoops, granddaughter of Louis Glur; Cheri Schrader, executive director, Platte County Historical Society; Todd Trofholz, former owner, Glur's Tavern.

Ranch is now the most popular salad dressing in the country. But it's more than a dressing... it's a condiment... it's almost a lifestyle. And it was invented by a Nebraska native! Nebraska Public Media producer Andy Hermann gets the story and visits with Nebraskans keeping the tradition alive. Guests, in order of appearance: Holly Mastelotto, granddaughter of Steve Henson, founder of Hidden Valley Ranch (Sparks, Nev.); Angie Dowd, owner, Driesbach’s Salad Dressings and The Chocolate Bar (Grand Island, Neb.); Marcia Harner, creator, the Country Neighbor restaurant's Country Sweet Onion and Ranch Sweet Onion dressings (Burwell, Neb.); Todd Baker, 2nd generation owner/operator, Baker’s Candies (Greenwood, Neb.). Music: "Dip It In The Ranch" by Parry Gripp.

What do you do when snow falls on your driveway? If you ask Nebraska Public Media producer Andy Hermann, he shovels it. But over time, he tends to pick up words and phrases from the different places he's lived over the years. Does this mean he'll be scooping the snow next time it falls? Guests, in order of appearance: Cicely Wardyn (Lincoln, Neb.); Barb Bierman-Batie, freelance writer and photographer (Lexington, Neb.); Matthew Gordon, professor of English, University of Missouri (Columbia, Mo.).

When you think of agriculture in Nebraska... you think of corn, cows, and... sheep... right? Nebraska Public Media producer Andy Hermann takes inspiration by trying getting warm in this cold season. He visits three wool working facilities in the state and learns about much more than hats and sweaters. Guests, in order of appearance: Andrew Wells, Brown Sheep Company (Mitchell, NE); Kelsey Quandt, The Fiber Mill (Stromsburg, NE); Megan Landes-Murphy, Kestrel Ridge Pellet Company (Lawrence, NE); Robert Wells, Brown Sheep Company (Mitchell, NE).

Nebraska Public Media debuts Curious Nebraska... producer Andy Hermann's quest to figure out what makes Nebraska Nebraska. This episode is about red beer and why Huskers love it. Guests, in order of appearance: Travis Langford, owner of The Grapevine Bar in Lincoln; Brianna Stai, assistant manager at Tank's Bar and Guitars in Lincoln; Andrew Rasmussen PhD, affiliate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.